Very high power connector

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coaxial connector comprising: a body; and a central contact mounted in the body with interposition of insulation; wherein the insulation comprises at least two distinct portions: a) that are separated by an interface presenting at least a fraction that extends obliquely relative to the axis of the connector; and/or b) that are made of different dielectric materials; the connector being configured to withstand breakdown phenomena at altitude, in particular under vacuum conditions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A coaxial connector extending along a longitudinal axis, the coaxial connector comprising:
 a body that is oriented along the longitudinal axis; and 
 a central contact mounted in the body with interposition of insulation positioned in the body, wherein 
 the insulation comprises three distinct portions: a front portion, a rear portion, and a middle portion connecting between the front portion and the rear portion along the longitudinal axis of the coaxial connector, the front, middle and rear portions being made of different dielectric materials, 
 a first interface between the front portion and the middle portion of the insulation presents at least a fraction that extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis of the coaxial connector, 
 a second interface between the middle portion and the rear portion of the insulation presents at least a fraction that extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis of the coaxial connector; 
 both the fraction of the first interface that extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis and the fraction of the second interface that extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis, being not collinear with electric field lines that extend radially within the coaxial connector, avoid creating avalanches of electrons in a vacuum and also avoid accumulating charge at the first interface and the second interface; and 
 a portion of the insulation, in particular the rear portion of the insulation, is configured to exert a holding action on an insulation of a coaxial cable which is mounted into the rear portion and the central contact. 
 
     
     
       2. The coaxial connector according to  claim 1 , wherein one of the front, middle and rear portions of the insulation is made of a dielectric material presenting a thermal conductivity value that is different from that of a dielectric material of another of the front, middle and rear portions of the insulation. 
     
     
       3. The coaxial connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material of said portion of the insulation that is configured to exert a holding action presents a linear coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than that of dielectric material of the coaxial cable. 
     
     
       4. The coaxial connector according to  claim 1 , wherein said portion of the insulation that is configured to exert a holding action includes:
 two jaws configured to press against the insulation of the coaxial cable, and 
 a sleeve surrounding the jaws on a periphery of the jaws. 
 
     
     
       5. The coaxial connector according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fraction of the first interface that extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis of the coaxial connector and the fraction of the second interface that extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis of the coaxial connector defines a surface that is conical. 
     
     
       6. The coaxial connector according to  claim 1 , wherein a lateral outside surface of the coaxial connector includes a coating over at least a fraction of the lateral outside surface, wherein the coating presents a ratio of thermal absorptivity divided by thermal emissivity that is less than 1. 
     
     
       7. A coaxial connector mounted on a coaxial cable, the coaxial connector comprising:
 a body; and 
 a central contact mounted in the body with interposition of insulation positioned in the body, wherein: 
 the insulation of the coaxial connector comprises at least two distinct portions each having an oblique interface separated by a middle portion having an interface presenting at least a fraction that extends obliquely relative to a longitudinal axis of the coaxial connector, 
 a rear portion of the insulation of the coaxial connector and the insulation of the coaxial cable both having holding means configured to mutually cooperate in order to exert a holding action of the rear portion of the insulation of the coaxial connector on the insulation of the coaxial cable that is mounted into the rear portion and the central contact, and 
 the holding means of the insulation of the coaxial connector comprises a protrusion, and the holding means of the insulation of the coaxial cable comprises a recess formed on the insulation of the coaxial cable, the protrusion being configured to engage with the recess. 
 
     
     
       8. The coaxial connector according to  claim 6 , wherein the coating comprises an inner metallic layer, and an outer resin layer.